Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Kitty Broihier and Kim Mayone join us in the Inkwell to discuss *The
Everyday Low Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook*.


Kitty Broihier received her bachelor's degree in nutrition from
Michigan State University, went on to do graduate  nutrition work and
complete her dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals,
then decided that clinical dietetics was not for her and went to
Boston
to get her master's degree in nutrition communications from BU.

She loved Boston, but her longtime beau (now husband) lived in NYC, so
she moved there and took an unpaid internship at Good Housekeeping
magazine in the nutrition department where she slaved for nothing, but
got lots of great writing experience and learned how magazines were
put
together. Finally GH took pity on her and hired her, and she worked
happily there for about 5 years while living in various Greenwich
Village apartments with her beau.

Kitty then yearned for more money, so she took a corporate
communications job for a Japanese food company with US headquarters in
NJ. She learned how to do a "reverse commute" from NYC to NJ, and
later
she and Dan moved to NJ because she'd grown tired of riding the bus.

After their wedding and birth of their first child, Jack (now 7),
Kitty and Dan moved to Maine, where they've lived for 6 years. Kitty
works out of her home in South Portland, while Dan conducts his
business (wholesale seafood) on the Portland waterfront. They had
another child, Amelia (nearly 4...going on 14) and are both now
self-employed. Kitty runs a business called NutriComm, which consults
to food companies, PR firms, etc. and also is a freelance writer and
book author.

Kitty looks forward to chatting with Well friends, as her husband (the
guy from Ask Mr Fishman in the cooking conference) says it's great fun
and everyone is very cool and smart!

Kitty has been low-carbing since last June. As a dietitian, she sees
the usefullness of the diet for some people, but doesn't advocate it
as
"the" diet for everyone. As a cookbook author, she prefers to defend
low-carbing (as she often has to do, especially among fellow
dietitians) through her recipes. She believes the science needs to
catch up with the anecdotal evidence pro low-carb, and in the interim
tries to make her low carb diet healthy via lots of veggies, leaner
meats and calcium supplements!
  

    
Kimberly Mayone grew up in Portland, Maine.  She had her first
restaurant job at the age of 15.  After graduating from Cornell
University's Hotel School in 1992, Kimberly arrived in Boston and
stayed there for just about 5 years.  In Boston, she made a living
managing hotel restaurants.  She spent her free time exploring the
city, shopping and cooking.  Her favorite job in Beantown was being
the
manager at Turner Fisheries in the Westin Hotel.  It was in Boston
that Kimberly worked closely with Lise Stern, a free-lance food writer
and recipe developer in the Boston area.

In late 1996, Kimberly married a wonderful man named Mark Mayone.
They relocated to Maine and Kimberly soon began working as the food
and
beverage manager for the Portland Regency Hotel.  After the birth of
their first child, Kimberly decided that balancing restaurant
management and family was just a bit too much.  After a brief stint as
a substitute teacher, Kimberly began working as the creative chef for
a
Odwalla, a super premium juice company.  During her work with Odwalla,
Kimberly gave birth to her second child.  Now the Mayones were a busy
and happy family of four.  When Coca Cola purchased Odwalla,
Kimberly's
position was eliminated and so the search for a new job began.

While attending The International Association of Culinary
Professionals Conference, Kimberly and Kitty were introduced by a
mutual friend.  The well timed introduction became a collaboration for
a cookbook: The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook.  Working on a
cookbook is fun, exciting and sometimes exhausting.  Working with
Kitty
is a personal and a professional joy.  We are currently working on a
second low-carb book.

When not developing and testing recipes for a cookbook, Kimberly can
be found teaching part-time in the Culinary Arts Department at
Southern
Maine Community College.  She also operates a small recipe development
company named WOW Delicious.

Kimberly is looking forward to chatting on The Well.  As a very
non-technical person, she is rather intrigued by the whole process.
  

    
Kitty met Kim at the International Association of Culinary
Professional meeting last year in Montreal. Since then they've become
great friends and authored the Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook
together. This is their first book together, and they're already
working on low carb book number 2. The fact that we both live within 2
miles of each other has made the entire cookbook thing much easier. We
have "drive by foodings" to exchange tastes of what we've worked on,
and meet once a week to discuss problems, go over recipes, kvetch, etc.

Leading the conversation with Kitty and Kim is long time veteran
newspaper reporter/columnist, Tony Bittick. Today, Tony earns a
paycheck and supports a family of five, a beagle and a budding
aquarium working in the world of corporate communications.  As a
writer
Tony has specialized in electronic product review and as an
entertainment writer. When he’s not coaching soccer, hockey or
baseball, or serving as a human jungle-gym for his kids, he spends his
"free time" as a photographer and media consultant.

A lifelong cooking enthusiast, Tony started low-carbing last summer,
in part, because of his participation on The Well and the LowCarb
conference. He said he welcomed the opportunity to participate as an
interviewer in Inkwell.vue because "hopefully it’ll be a chance to
stretch out some old skills while giving back to The Well, at least in
some small way, for all it’s given me."

Great to have you here -- but it's making me hungry. Help!
  

    
Well ladies... lets get cooking, shall we? It's wonderful to have you
both here and I have sense that this is going to be an active
conversation.

We already know you've started on your second book (oh the
anticipation!) but what I'd like to know is why you chose to start with
a slow cook cook book? What was or is the appeal? And not to get the
cart before the horse, but is the second book another slow cooker book
or does it take a different route?
  

    
We have to give credit where credit is due; our editor thought of
putting low carb together with slow cooking in order to jump on two hot
trends. Marlowe & Co, the publisher of the book, contacted our agent
and that's how we got the job! It was great; didn't have to do a book
proposal or go through any of that preliminary stuff! 

Actually, however, the idea of putting low carb and slow cookers
together is really pretty natural. Many of the foods that slow cookers
cook best are protein-based (think stew, roasts, etc.), so it wasn't a
huge stretch to find recipe ideas that would fit well into the dual
idea. Then, the more we got into the "meat" (heh, heh) of the book, it
become obvious to us that other foods that are staples of low carb
diets (such as eggs) are also possible to cook in a slow cooker, abeit
not for the extended times that meat dishes are. So, we tried to branch
out and get more creative with our ideas. Kim can address our approach
to ingredients and why (fresh vs. canned, exotic vs. pantry staples,
etc.)...
  

    
Basic kitchen staples are necessary for quality slow cooking.  Try to
keep onions, garlic, chicken/beef broth, eggs, butter and olive oil on
hand.  Take advantage of weekly sales at the grocery store to keep your
slow cooking routine fun and varied.  When you see chicken thighs on
sales - stock up.  If Hotel Turkey breasts are on sale, it must be time
for Thanksgiving Anytime Turkey Breast (a favorite in our house). 
Roasted red peppers, olives, capers, anchovy paste, sofrito and recaito
are great accents to low-carb cooking.  Bagged salad greens are a
staple in our house because a simple green salad can compliment most
low-carb entrees.

As far as ingredient choices for The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker
Cookbook, we often opted for convenience.  In talking with people who
use their slow cookers regularly, we determined that the simpler the
recipe the better.  We used canned broth and jarred garlic for most
recipes, but the recipes in our book go beyond canned soup, onion soup
mix and ground beef.  For example, firm fishes like salmon and
swordfish are so delicious when they are prepared in a slow cooker and
eggs dishes make a perfect dinner any night of the week.
  

    
Yes, this book is not a "Fix It and Forget It"-type book. There are
not 100 recipes for meatloaf,  nor do we limite ourselves to only
pantry foods. We've worked in ethnic flavors, more vegetables, and a
chapter of side dishes that aren't cooked in the slow cooker at all
because we know that just serving a slow-cooked dish often isn't enough
for a full dinner (although sometimes it is!). Having a crunchy
vegetable dish on the side can make a big difference in a low-carb/slow
cooked meal.
  

    
Let's talk about the Genesis of the book. We've read a little bit
about how you met, but at what point did you decide or just know that
you should write a book together?
  

    
Following our meeting at the conference, Kitty and I played a game of
e-mail tag trying to set up a play date for our children.  Kitty asked
me to join her in the book project because of my culinary background. 
At the time, I was looking for a work project and writing a cookbook
certainly fit the bill.  We live only two miles away from each other so
working on the book was very convenient.  It was also fun.  Our
collaboration works exceptionally well.
  

    
Can you tell us something about your own personal Low Carb
backgrounds? Do you eat low carb... do your families eat Low Carb...
and if you do, how did you come to this diet and why?
  

    
I followed a strict low-carb diet for 2 months while working on the
book (including a 2 week Atkins induction- protein & greens only). 
Since Thanksgiving I have followed a modified low-carb diet that allows
me to maintain the weight loss that I achieved with my strict low-carb
routine.  I lost a total of 16 pounds.  I tried low-carb because I was
working on a low-carb cookbook and it felt like an appropriate and
natural thing to do.  I am also curious by nature and I figured that it
made sense to try it out for myself.  I feel better when I eat fewer
carbs.  I find that my hunger pangs are lessened when I am eating
low-carb.  My day usually starts with eggs or a protein shake.  Lunch
is typically a salad and a diet soda.  Dinner is usually whatever I am
working on for the new book or leftovers.

My family does not follow a low-carb diet.  They do however eat a
healthy diet that includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy
foods and minimal processed foods.  We all take multi-vitamins and I
take a calcium supplement.  My family eats the vast majority of its
meals at home around the kitchen table.  It may be something as simple
as ham and eggs, but we try to eat dinner together.
  

    
And Kitty? How about you?
  

    
I started following a low-carb diet out of curiosity before we even
got the book deal. Like Kim, I felt I should try it as a professional
thing (as a dietitian, I'm asked about the diets frequently), and I
followed the first 2 weeks of South Beach for my "intro." After the
first 2 weeks, I had lost 7 pounds, and as soon as I sort of found my
own way to do a lower carb diet, I found I had more energy during the
day and just generally felt better when limiting my carb intake. As a
dietitian, I do try to eat healthfully, but did realize that much of my
diet was carb-based, and that by bringing that carb level down, my
body seemed to "work" better. 

I've been following a "lower-carb" (not strictly low-carb) diet since
that time, so for a total of about 9 months now, and have lost some
additional weight, a total of about 14 pounds, and have maintained it
--even through the holiday season, etc. If I have a splurge day, I feel
that I can go right back to being strict for a few days and things
will fall back into place. I don't beat myself up about it, and
certainly try not to dwell on the problem, but just matter-of-factly go
back to being more strict about the carbs. I think that's the beauty
of this type of diet, as soon as you go back to it, you're rewarded
again--it works. Although, I'm not sure it works for
everyone....certainly I'm not advocating that this is the perfect diet
for everyone. For some people, a lower fat diet might be the thing that
works best for them..
  

    
Oh, forgot to add that I think a lower carb diet is not appropriate
for children. I have 2 kids and although they generally eat the same
food that I do, which would be lower in carbs, I supplement the rest of
their meals with higher carb foods such as whole wheat bread, "light"
rolls and such. I find it easier to make a low carb entree, then just
have some breadsticks around for them if they want them--as long as the
carbs aren't mixed into the entree, I have an easier time avoiding
them. It's easy to pass up a roll, but harder for me to pass up
potatoes that might be mixed into our entree, for example. That's why
there haven't been potatoes in my house in 9 months! Sometimes my
husband misses that kind of stuff, but I tell him to order a potato
when we go out to eat, an that usually works out fine!
  

    
Well let me say that as far as cookbooks go, in general not just low
carb books, I think you ladies have done a really nice job. As
something of a cook book "collector" I appreciated the time and energy
you put into sections regarding slow cooker types, slow cooking care
basics, etc... 

You don't always see this kind of attention paid to these types of
books. Can you elaborate on this process and the decision to include
this type of info?
  

    
To us, it was natural to include this information, as not everyone
(including us, at the beginning) is familiar with the newer slow
cookers, and the basics about how to use one and care for it. I still
have a really old slow cooker that I use, with absolutely no bells or
whistles, while Kim has a new, fancy, one, with  multiple settings,
digital timers and a stainless steel casing. I still use my old one,
but have bought a newer one (larger, but with no fancy stuff). We
highly recommend getting an oval shaped slow cooker if you're in the
market, as they're convenient for cooking a whole chicken or roast. My
old one won't fit a whole chicken, but it does a great job on eggs,
etc., where size and shape aren't as important. 

Online research into types and prices can be helpful, but we've found
that sometimes local stores such as Target, have better deals than
online. I've even seen good deals on the fancy slow cookers at
warehouse clubs. Usually slow cookers go on sale in the fall and around
the holiday season, but a good buy can be found any time of year if
you're in the right place at the right time. 

Back to the book; lots of people have told me they appreciated the
introductory material on the slow cookers because it's been a long time
since they've used theirs, and they needed a "refresher course" and
couldn't find the booklet that came with their slow cooker.
  

    
I LOVE slow cooking... but like we discussed in our prep for this
interview, most of the slow cooker recipe books I have are basically
variations of the same recipes. You know, ten different kinds of meat
loaf, 15 different chilis...

With that in mind, how did you go about selecting recipes for this
book? Are they adapted from other books, family favorites or just stuff
you guys thought would taste good?
  

    
I'll let Kim address most of this, since she was the creative culinary
person and the vast majority of the ideas were hers. However, I will
say that many of the ideas were things we just thought up on our own.
Obviously, we knew there had to be a number of meatloaves, stews, etc.,
because that's what people expect of a slow cooker book. But, we
didn't want it to be limited (read boring) so we threw in some 
unexpected things, such as egg dishes, breakfast dishes, and a few
desserts. 
  

    
(Note: non-members can send queries or comments to inkwell-hosts@well.com
and our hosts here will add your remarks to the conversational thread)
  

    
I've lost a ton of weight since February of 2003 on a low carb diet. 
I think I started somewhere around the 300 pound range (though I never
verified a starting weight), and am now right around 220.  Also, I
enjoy a variety of forms of cooking.  While I know a bunch about slow
cooking on BBQ cookers/smokers, I know very little about slow cooking
indoors.  Does your book include the basics about the types of things
one should look for in getting started with slow cooking indoors? 
Where should I start my research in picking up the necessary equipment
for indoor slow cooking?  Are we talking about something like a cast
iron dutch oven?
  

    
Before starting on this book, I had decided to take my slow cooking to
the next level (aka beyond beef stew).  After several paper
brainstorming sessions, the cooking began.  One egg dish would inspire
us to try another and so one.  Writing a cookbook can cause insomnia
because you are always thinking about new dishes and potential
combinations.  My favorite find of the book is using a slow cooker to
roast nuts - it works perfectly and it is almost impossible to burn the
nut.  I also love using the slow cooker to prepare whole marinated
chickens.  There is some substantial cost saving associated with slow
cooking, especially when you shop the sales.  I like to work with
classic flavors that complement one another for example Sausage with
Chickpeas and Tomatoes uses rosemary and garlic  to pull the dish
together. We also love to get input from friends and family.  Greek
Chicken is a recipe that my girl friend Dyan has been making for years.
 I tested her verbal recipe, tweaked it a little and the end result is
quite outstanding (tomatoes, feta, onions, chicken).  Mmmmmmm.
  

    
I've had the book for a couple of weeks and I have to say, it's really
refreshing to find a slow cooker cookbook that doesn't rely on the old
standbys - I probably have upwards of 10 slow cooker/crockery/"crock
pot" books and most of the recipes start out "chop up potatoes and
onions, put them in the pot, then put the meat on top and cook". My
husband is allergic to onions so this doesn't work well for us at all.
Not only does this book have a delightful array of recipe types (the
cinnamon walnuts were a huge hit and everyone was very surprised to
hear that they were low carb) but even in the more 'standard' meat
dishes the sauces/preparation are very different and so far quite
popular (some of them are a bit spicy for my kids but I can adapt
them easily).

Although I'm not a rabid low carb person I try to avoid unnecessary
sugar and it's nice to still be able to make bbq sauce without adding
a ton of sugar to the mix.

For the slow cooker general info, I would say the only addition I could
see would be the 'standard' cooking temperatures for slow cookers.  I
have a *really* old slow cooker/fryer combo thing and it doesn't have
low/high, it has a temp dial.  Which is great when I want to adjust
the time to something between the low and high cooking times, but
not so good when I forget what the numbers should be and have to look
it up in one of my other slow cooker books.

Anyhow, great book.  Like I said I really appreciated the variety,
both in the recipe types and the preparations for each kind of recipe.
I don't think I saw what type of cookbook you're working on next, but
I'm betting I'll buy it :-)

If anyone has specific questions about the recipes I've tried, so far
I've tried: cinnamon walnuts, chicken cordon bleu rollups (yum!),
asian inspired ribs (except with chicken), chicken with 40 cloves of
garlic, the country sparerib recipe, and the pesto beef (which was
the only thing our kids weren't thrilled by).  Oh, and the chicken
satay bites, which we actually used for dinner and it was an enormous
hit.
  

    
I haven't seen your book yet (I've got it on hold at the library)-but I 
have a question anyway-- does your book include the numbers?  (Ie, 
calories, carbs, proteins, fats, fibers, etc) per serving?  
  

    
Don't want o leave Dave's question unanswered, but we certainly like
all the nice comments; thanks. Glad people are enjoying the recipes. 

Dave, we are not talking about a Dutch oven, but an electric slow
cooker. Newer ones range from about $30 to $75, and include an insert
that sits in teh electrified base. You can cook in these things and
even leave the house while they're cooking if you like. They don't use
a lot of energy, and because no moisture is lost during cooking (they
have tight-fitting covers), the food doesn't dry up and burn. Check out
some deals on the web if you like, or check out discount stores like
Target or K-Mart and the like for good deals. Kim and I recommend a
slow-cooker that's oval in shape (more versatile) and holds around 6
quarts of food.
  

    
I forgot to note that the book does include general info in the front
about slow-cooker styles, makes, and general care instructions for
slow-cookers. 
  

    
It is possible for food to dry up and burn in them, but it's not easy.
Of course, I have managed it. :-)

It was nice to see a slow cooker cookbook that didn't rely on canned
soup. I've been creating things for the slow cooker myself using
various liquid and spice things --wine, commercial marinades and
sauces, juice, etc. -- I'd barely even call them 'recipies' -- so the
book struck me as sort of obvious, but I can see that someone who's not
into experimenting would find it very helpful. 

I was actually surprised by the side dish section because a lot of
that wasn't made in the slow cooker, as I recall. 

And I looked at some of the egg recipes that said things like, don't
cook for more than four hours, so I thought, well, I guess that means
you don't make it the night before and wake up to breakfast, so what
does one do? get up at 4 am and put it in the slow cooker to have ready
at 7 am?